Friday, February 7, 2014

Mathematician Dr. James Grime on Zeno's Paradox

Paradox does not exist purely in theology or philosophy; It's also found in mathematics and physics, often where infinity is concerned. The paradoxes of an ancient philosopher named Zeno are good examples of this.

Below, from the YouTube channel "Numberphile," is a good mathematical explanation of Zeno's paradoxes. (Not to mention we get to hear "tor-toise" pronounced phonetically.) At 6:07, Dr. Grime summarizes the two truths that stand in paradox: "So it sounds like I'm saying that you can complete an infinite process. Now, an infinite process doesn't have a last step. So how can something without a last step be completed? And that's the paradox."